What does U.S. presidential candidates have to say about immigration?
- News
As the 2024 U.S. presidential election approaches, immigration remains a central issue that reflects deep divisions over how the country should handle its borders, undocumented migrants and legal pathways to citizenship. The candidates, current Vicepresident Kamala Harris and former President Donald Trump, present drastically opposing visions for the future of immigration in the country.
Biden-Harris Policies: Restoring the System and Strengthening Families
Since taking office, President Biden and Vice President Kamala Harris have worked to reverse many of the policies implemented by the Trump administration, which they consider harmful to the immigration system. One of his priorities has been to keep families together, reversing family separation policies, reuniting more than 700 families separated under the previous administration, and protecting spouses and children of U.S. citizens.
Under Biden’s leadership, the administration has issued more than 500 executive actions, including more than 300 focused on undoing Trump-era immigration policies. Among its achievements is the expansion of legal pathways for more than 2 million immigrants, which has allowed workers and families to legally integrate into the country, also boosting the economy. In addition, the Biden-Harris administration has created policies to address the root causes of migration, focused on improving conditions in countries of origin such as El Salvador, Honduras, and Guatemala, through humanitarian aid initiatives and international cooperation.
The administration has also worked to protect DACA (Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals) recipients, implementing new policies that make it easier for Dreamers to access work visas and reducing wait times for their integration into the workforce.
Trump-Vance: Mass Deportations and Family Separation
On the other hand, the Trump campaign, in alliance with Senator J.D. Vance, proposes a much more restrictive and aggressive approach to immigration. Trump has promised mass deportations, using police and military forces to raid public places and workplaces, as well as building internment camps for undocumented immigrants. This strategy has been widely criticized for the negative impact it would have on families, communities, and the U.S. economy.
One of the most controversial issues of the Trump administration was the family separation policy, which resulted in the separation of nearly 4,000 children from their parents. Trump has left open the possibility of reinstating this policy if he is elected again, something that has generated fear among many immigrant communities in the United States.
In addition, Trump has promised to dismantle DACA, which could leave more than half a million young people without protection from deportation and without the possibility of working legally in the country. It also proposes ending temporary protection programs for refugees and those fleeing violence, which would affect millions of people.
Summary: Two opposing visions
Kamala Harris:
- He opposes many Trump-era immigration policies, but supports some Biden administration policies, including asylum restrictions for those who cross the border illegally.
- He supports a bipartisan proposal to increase border security and the number of asylum officers, and would close the border if crossings exceed certain thresholds.
- It maintains a stance of following and enforcing laws on illegal crossings, emphasizing the consequences.
- It supports Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) and promotes permanent protections for Dreamers.
- It focuses on addressing the causes of migration in Latin America through private development funds.
Donald Trump:
- He plans to implement the “largest deportation operation in U.S. history,” including detaining undocumented immigrants in camps ahead of mass deportations.
- It proposes to revoke birthright citizenship for children of undocumented immigrants and give state police and the National Guard authority for immigration enforcement.
- He supports building more border wall infrastructure and deploying the military for immigration control.
- It supports harsher immigration measures, including the use of the Alien Enemies Act for deportations without due process.
- It dehumanizes migrants, describing them as “poisoning the blood” of the country and calling some of them “animals.”